Yak Breeds

Yaks are a long-haired cattle cousin found throughout the Himalaya region of southern Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. Most yaks are domesticated; however there is a small, population of wild yaks.

Yaks may have diverged from cattle at any point between one and five million years ago, and there is some suggestion that they may be closely related to Bison.

Domesticated Yaks have been kept for thousands of years, primarily for their milk, fiber, and meat. Their dried poop are an important fuel, used all over Tibet, and are often the only fuel available on the high treeless Tibetan Plateau.Learn More About Yaks

Yaks for Sale

Breeds of Yaks

Plateau Grassland

Plateau Grassland Yaks are
found on the cold highland pastures of the southern and northern Qinghai
province of China. They look similar to wild Yaks, but they are domesticated.

Plateau Grassland Yaks have a relatively large
body and a big head. Both sexes are horned. Similar to the wild yak, they have
greyish-white hair down their back and around their muzzle and eye.

They adapt well to the cold and humid
climate at high elevation.

Tibetan

Tibetan Yaks is found mainly in southeastern
Tibet. They are kept on high mountain meadows and mountain pastures, which
often suffer from overgrazing. Tibet yaks are therefore relatively light and
have no special features. They are mainly black. Most of them have horn, but Eight
percent of them are hornless.

Valley

Valley Yaks are found in the valleys of North and East Tibet, as well as in some parts of Sichuan and Yuman provinces.

White

White Yaks are found mainly in Tibet, but they are also
found occasionally in other regions of China. White Yaks were once considered a
divine animal. Sometimes they were used a sacrifice, but before slaying a White
Yak worshipers would read a lecture 300 times.

Tibetans raise White Yaks for meat, milk, and hides.The skin is good material for leather products
and Tibetans use it to make tent, rope and bags. The horns are made into combs.
The bones are used to make bone glue. The tail and hair are used to make
blankets, clothes,
...

Wild

Wild
yaks usually are found in herds of between ten and thirty animals.

They have
dense, close, matted under-hair as well as shaggy outer hair.

Yaks
secrete a special sticky substance in their sweat which helps keep their
under-hair matted and acts as extra insulation. This secretion is used in traditional
Nepalese medicine. Many wild yaks are killed for food by hunters in China and are
now a vulnerable species.